Writing and thinking about comedy is easy compared to delivering it in front of an audience. Every stand-up comedian will experience this at some point in their career. All the writing in the world won’t prepare you unless you know to deliver it correctly during a live show.
Comedy is the best medicine in that it relieves us from stress. Butchering a joke that was funny in your head will surely cause all kinds of stress for you and your audience while on the stage. And yes, call me surely — because it surely will! Mistakes are common, but as long as we can learn from them and correct them, we will be okay.
The ability to recognize our mistakes and the elements that destroy our stand-up comedy before we get to the stage will take our comedy to a whole new level.
This article will reveal the potential red flags that damage or broke your stand-up comedy and the ways to fix them.
The 3 major red flags that ruin your stand-up comedy are:
1. Preparing the Wrong Material for the Wrong Audience
An audience is a collection of young and older people from all walks of life. Everybody has different views and mindsets. Comedy that’s hilarious to one might be awful to another.
The best way to “know” your audience is to know the age range and general location of the upcoming show. Then, you can start to do some research before the show.
The material/script should be relatable and suitable for that age range and location. For instance, is it a midnight show in Texas? Is it a noon show at a picnic? Think about what would be funny for the show in Texas. Do your jokes work for that audience? I’d bet they wouldn’t crossover well with the picnic show.
Some shows have specific themes. In this case, your comedy should be relevant to the theme of the show. Would you make fun of dogs at a Pet Benefit? Probably not.
Research and know your audience, their location, their culture, and language beforehand, to successfully prepare for the show.
2. Don’t Pander and Deliver Your Jokes in a Proper Manner
Try not to give in to stage fear and start pandering if you forgot your jokes. Take a breath, pause, and get back to it. The best way to avoid this situation is preparation. Preparation is the most crucial tool for anyone to excel in their comedic profession. Prepare well and memorize your comedy correctly. Know it backward, forwards, and in double speed. Because missing some words while delivering, may change the humor of your comedy.
If you forgot any word or joke, you should be ready to tackle the situation without blabbering rubbish, which usually occurs when you don’t receive any claps or laughs. You get frustrated and disappointed, and your mind doesn’t work, so you become nervous, thereby causing a failure in your show.
Be confident and perform with full passion by ignoring negativities. Pandering on unnecessary things will break your flow and cause a disconnect for the audience.
Though you are a great comedian with a great sense of humour, presenting that before an audience is more important. Deliver your comedy in an attractive and funny manner that grasps the audience towards you.
Presentation also matters, starting from your attire to your usage of words and the delivery of your comedy. Because, if you tell your jokes with a different tone or with a different pronunciation, it could kill your comedy set. You should always deliver the comedy with proper pauses and a perfect mood to get a strong interaction with your audience.
Delivering also includes the way of presenting with actions. All comedy should have life in it. Most of the comedians recite it like a poem without expressing it appropriately.
Making facial expressions, speaking with actions, and painting pictures in the audiences’ mind while performing will enhance your comedy show. It’s all about communication. The better you communicate, the louder they laugh.
3. Improper Timing
If you have 30 minutes to finish your comedy set, then finish it within 30 minutes. The longer you take with your jokes, the shorter the crowd’s response will be. Most comedians compress their jokes because if you take 5 minutes to set-up your joke, the audience will be asleep.
People will leave a show before it’s over. It happens all the time. Check out a local open mic to see it in action. Improper timing will cause less attention, heckling, and an exhausted crowd.
How to Manage Your Time
Every show is usually scheduled for at least 90 – 100 minutes and should never extend over 2 hours. Avoid an intermission during the show. If an intermission is there, then make sure to continue strong after.
An essential thing about maintaining timing is to 1. Give time for the audience to laugh, and 2. Leave the audience wanting more. Finish your set within your allotted time to make your comedy show a successful one.
Running the light is one of the biggest sins in comedy, and it’s a great way never to get booked again at that club. So maintain your time and stay within your time.
Conclusion
Understanding these red flags will help improve your career. Make the relevant corrections and prepare yourself accordingly to tackle any situation.
And a bonus tip, always run a soundcheck on stage before the show. Improper mic settings and lighting in your set will also disrupt the audience flow. So make sure to fix your problems beforehand and create the best show you can.
